SOCSC01 (READINGS IN PHIL.

HISTORY)

CHAPTER 1. MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF HISTORY

• “In order to know the destiny of the
people, it is necessary to open the
book of its past. ”

- Jose Rizal
- (The Philippines A Century Hence)
 Methods of Historiography

❖ Traditional Method – gathering of documents to form a pool of

evidence to make an analytical or descriptive narration

❖ Modern Method – includes traditional method and use of

research methods such as geography or archaeology
 Colonial Historiography

❖ Americans presented Philippine history in 2 parts:

1. Period of darkness
2. Era of enlightenment
American colonial writers emphasized that Filipinos were colonized in
order to teach the natives the “civilized lifestyle” such as personal
hygiene and public administration
 Colonial Historiography

❖ Spaniards presented Philippine history in 2 parts:

1. Period of darkness or backwardness
2. Period of advancement or enlightenment

Spanish chroniclers emphasized that colonization is primary to liberate

Filipinos from their “barbaric lifeways”
• “The history of the Philippines started in 1565” -according to
Spaniards

• Historia
• Kasaysayan

• “The history of the Filipino people started in the 1870s” according to

Teodoro Agoncillo

Colonial Historiography
 Colonial Historiography

❖ Both Spaniards and Americans looked at the natives to be bereft

of an advanced culture and respectable history.

❑ 1890: Rizal annotated the book of Morga (1609): Sucesos de las

Islas Filipinas (Events in the Philippine Islands)
 Colonial Historiography

❖ Filipinos perception about their colonial past:

1. Filipinos were initially

maltreated by the “wicked Spain”
2. The Philippines was
rescued by the “benevolent America”
 Colonial Historiography

❖ To pacify the Filipinos, the US used ingenious ways through education

as a tool to control their subjects and increase political and economic
powers.
❖ This erased the Filipino consciousness of the bloody Philippine-
American War such as:
1. Balangiga Massacre (Eastern Samar-March 1901 and Sept 28, 1901)
2. Battle of Bud Bagsak (Sulu from June 11-15, 1913)
Philippine Historiography After World War II

Teodoro Agoncillo
• pioneered nationalist historiography in
the country by highlighting the role of
the Filipino reformists and
revolutionaries from 1872
• “lost history”
Philippine Historiography After World War II

Renato Constantino

people’s history
a study of the past that sought to analyze
society by searching out people’s voices from
colonial historical records/materials
Philippine Historiography After World War II

Zeus Salazar
“Pantayong Pananaw”
(an approach to understand the past from our
own (Filipino) cultural frame and language)
Mga Pananaw sa Kasaysayan
• Pansilang pananaw -foreign perspective of Philippine history

• Pangkaming pananaw- narrating our history to outsiders; had to

adjust to the perspective or knowledge of the audience/readers;
present a counterpart of Philippine historic figures in Western history
(ex. Gabriela Silang= Joan of Arc of the Philippines; Gregorio Aglipay
=Martin Luther)

• Pantayong pananaw
Philippine Historiography After World War II

Reynaldo Ileto
• “history from below”

• Used alternative historical sources

(folksongs and prayers) to analyze and
explain the way of thinking of ordinary
folks
Philippine Historiography After World War II

Samuel K. Tan
• Mainstreamed the role and relevance of Filipino
Muslims in the country’s history
Characteristics of Contemporary Phil. Historiography

1. Political Narratives
- Deal with political aspects of nation- building
E. g. Legacies of political leaders
Establishment of different governments
Grand narratives
Characteristics of Contemporary Phil. Historiography

2. Colonial Histories in Historical Narratives

- Filipinos are more familiar with colonial histories than pre-colonial
histories
* Misrepresentation of Filipinos as “barbarians” or savages
* Misrepresentation of Americans or Spaniards as liberators of
Filipinos from cultural backwardness.
 Characteristics of Contemporary Phil. Historiography

3. Elite-centric Perspectives in Historical Narratives

- focus is on the contribution of the elite in nation-building
- role of the “ilustrado” as they fought in 19th century
- how politicians negotiated with Americans to obtain Phil. independence
 Characteristics of Contemporary Phil. Historiography

4. Patriarchal Organization in Historical Narratives

- most historical narratives highlight heroism of men.
- MEN’s role in leading revolts, championing
independence or spearheading political and economic
development
 Characteristics of Contemporary Phil. Historiography

Women Leaders:
Gabriela Silang – assumed leadership of the Ilocos Revolt after her
husband was murdered
Tandang Sora (Ina ng Katipunan) –offered her barn and farm to
revolutionaries; linked her son’s involvement in the Katipunan
Corazon Aquino – martyr’s widow who led a movement to depose
dictatorship (Edsa Revolution).
 Characteristics of Contemporary Phil. Historiography

5. Emphasis on Lowland Christianized Filipinos

- Most recognized and celebrated in national histories are mostly
lowland Christians;

Rizal (leading propagandist)

Bonifacio (founder of Katipunan)
Aguinaldo (revolutionary leader)
Thank you!